E.T. was one of those movies you just had to see, even though you may not even have known what "extra-terrestrial" meant in 1982. If you were at the movie, you'll probably love reading this behind-the-scenes chronicle of the making of the film, including a copy of the screenplay as written by Melissa Mathison.

The book coincides with the 30th anniversary of the film's debut. Extensive interviews with director Steven Spielberg; Mathison; producer Kathleen Kennedy; child stars Henry Thomas, Drew Barrymore and Robert MacNaughton fill the pages, along with various other conversations with cast and crew about how the film was conceived.

Over 200 color and black-and-white production photographs adorn this wonderful volume. It is an engaging diary that will bring you back to the moment you first heard "Phone home."